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News (Media Awareness Project) - US TN: Drug Screening Firm Offering Fast Service
Title:US TN: Drug Screening Firm Offering Fast Service
Published On:2003-05-29
Source:Manchester Times (TN)
Fetched On:2008-01-20 06:11:22
DRUG SCREENING FIRM OFFERING FAST SERVICE

Charlotte and Norman Finney have opened the Tri-County Drug Screening
business in Manchester and are promoting a drug free workplace in a
three-county area of Coffee, Bedford and Franklin counties.

Finney has been a registered nurse since 1975 and saw a need for a drug
screening service here and opened the business in November 2002.

The office is located at 307 Hillsboro Blvd., in the Powers Plaza. Hours
are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be arranged other times
by appointment, she said. "We do pre-employment physicals and drug testing
for several local companies," Finney said. "We do Department of
Transportation (DOT) physicals and we are certified DOT collectors and
certified breath alcohol technicians."

Even though the business is called "Tri-County," she said the firm actually
serves a seven-county area including, Coffee Bedford, Franklin, Lincoln,
Warren, Moore and Grundy counties. "We also have Dr. Cerisia Cummings,
D.O., who is available when we need her (by appointment) for pre-employment
or DOT physicals," Finney said. "We work with companies in this area for
drug free workplace program management," she continued. "Today's businesses
and industries have seen themselves losing productivity, the quality has
also decreased.

Workers compensation claims have increased as drugs move more into the
workplace." She said companies could reduce workers compensation costs
through the drug free management program.

Her firm is certified as collectors for drug testing. "Another thing that
is important to these firms is those operating a certified program in
Tennessee qualify for a minimum 5 percent reduction in workers compensation
insurance premiums," Finney explained. "Tri-County Drug Screening has the
proper Medical Review Officer (MRO), who has the knowledge of substance
abuse disorders, laboratory testing procedures and chain of custody
collection procedures for the drug free workplace program. "Our MRO can
verify positive, confirmed test results.

The MRO has the necessary medical training to interpret and evaluate all
employee's positive test results in relation to the employee's medical
history or any other relevant biomedical information.

The MRO also helps to protect both the employer and the employee." She
points out companies can qualify as a drug free workplace by (1) performing
pre-employment drug screening; (2) implementing 'reasonable suspicion' or a
random-draw procedure; (3) developing and utilizing a personal policy to
deal with infractions; (4) providing employees and supervisory training;
(5) performing post-accident drug and alcohol testing and (6) providing
follow-up and return-to-duty testing.

"First screen negative results are usually returned within 24 hours form
the time the specimen arrives at the laboratory," Mrs. Finney said, adding
that specimens are sent out daily. "We also do hair and DNA saliva
collections." Another area Tri-County Drug Screening is planning to
implement is flu injections on site (at the place of employment) or in
their office on Hillsboro Boulevard. The firm also does eScreen automated
solution testing. "This allows employers to get test results back within 30
minutes through their Internet service (e-mail)," Finney said. "This puts
an end to the paper chase with automated drug testing program management.
We do the testing right here in our office.

The specimen is put into a machine and we can get negative results
available within 30 minutes of a completed test. "The e-mail notification
alerts the administrator that new results are available for review.

Results are then available electronically from the MyeScreen.com web site.
Results may also be obtained via Autofax, Automated Voice Response or
Electronic Data Transfer." Finney said this allows companies to get a fast
turn around of testing done by Tri-County Drug Screening. "When we work
with a company in the drug free workplace program, we set up the program
and can do on site testing or the employee can come to our offices," She
said. "Wal-Mart here uses our services and the eScreen system.

When we do testing for them (Wal-Mart), they can have the results in 30
minutes, almost before the employee can get back to duty. "We also work
with the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. in Tullahoma. We do all their
pre-employment screening.

We also do an in-service training program and counseling program for these
and other companies that we work with in this area." Finney has been
employed in the past at Crestwood Nursing Home, the Multi-County Mental
Health Center, Harton Regional Medical Center, Medical Center of Manchester
and Marcrom's Option Care before opening the Tri-County Drug Screening
business. While working at some of these other places, she did insurance
company physicals and still does that through her new company. Her husband,
Norman, is an instrument technician for Sverdrup Technology at Arnold
Center and has worked there for 24 years.

Finney works part-time with Tri-County, when he is "not at Sverdrup,"
Finney said. They have a daughter, Kellie, who is a student at MTSU and
plans to graduate in May 2004. She also works part-time for the business.
Tri-County Drug Screening may be reached by telephone at (931) 723-3355 or
the fax number is 596-3698.
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